The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-08-25
orr WAsHINGT0N LETTER.

Special Correspondence OF tne NEWS
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 24.-The |
records of the Treasury Department |
for the past week show that the govern |
ment is compromising with its debtors. |
In one case it accepted 50 600 in settle |
ment of a judgment of $50, 900, obtained
against the bOndsmen, or rather the
surviving bOndsman, of a pension
agent whose accounts were found short
thirty years ago. This way of waiting
many years until the principals are
dead and then sueing the heirs of the
parties may be all right for the govern
ment so as to enrich its exchequer but
it is at the sacrifice of all laws and
justice. But the government has a
way of sleeping on its rights until all
the immediate parties to the transaction
have been dead many years and their
grand children have grown to mature
years, and then resurrecting old papers
crumbling TO pieces with age and
bringing the grand children into court
to answer for the wrong doing of some
person on whose bond the name of the
grandparent appears as surety.
AS another instance out of many,
may be cited the case of Certain con-
tractor here who undertook to supply,
in 1874, wood and coal to the navy
| department. The contractor was at
the time and for many years afterwards
man OF much means as was also his
| father, who was one of two sureties on
the bond. The contractor failed to
furnish all the wood and coal called
for and the government without notice
| to the sureties went into open market
and purchased the fuel at rates above
the contract price, charging the differ
ence to the contractor. Thirteen years
this summer, after the death of the
contractor and his father, the govern
ment sues the surviving surety for the
amount paid by the government above
the contract price for the fuel. The
| bringing of this suit was the first in
| timation that the surviving surety had
| of the failure of the principal to keep
| his contract. Had the government
been diligent in the case it could have
recovered of either the principal or his
| father, one of the sureties, but it waited
until both died inSelvent, and then
| and without previous notice of the de-
| fault, and thirteen years after it oc
cured, sued the surviving surety alone
who is man of moderate means but
honest, and who, if the courts find him
liable, will have to sacrifice his all to
make good the claim.
To come now to a more recent case
we have that of the late Levi Bacon,
| who was appointed financial clerk of
| the patent office in 1876, while Zach.
Chandler was secretary of the interior.
| This Official held Office from that time
| until two months ago, when, for the
| first time, an examination of his ac-
counts was made, although there had
come into power since his appointment
/ several dministratiOns-dem
| as well as republican. The eXamin-
| alton disclosed a shortage of $50, 900,
extending back to within short time
after his appointment. And yet even
now, with knowledge of the shortage
and the amount, no suit IS brought to
recoN or of the sureties on the bond who
are perfectly responsible. Perhaps,
after change in the administration,
or after these men are dead and their
heirs not in a position to defend the
suit, an action will be instituted to
recover the amount. It is true that
one of the sureties on the bond. Hon.
Jay Huhbell, of Michigan, of republic
ressiOnal-campaign commit
tee fame, still has some influence, and
the other surety, James J.. Norris,
Esq, OF this city, prominent
aud staunch Jacksonian democrat,
who believes in turning the rascals
OUT has as much influence as any
man who mingles at the capital
with judges, senators, and cabinet
officers, but still justice to all persons
concerned and to the public demands
that the officers whose business il is to
cause suit to be instituted shall be dill
gent in the discharge of the duties i'm
posed upon them and not deferred there
from by any false sense of sympathy.
The developments in the suit may
prove not only highly interesting, but
also startling and even sensational,
but no matter what they are, and who
may be made to pay up, let the suit he
at once instituted. Now is the time
for action.
This letter is called forth 10y. the
numerous suits lately brought by the
government on bonds given and de-
faulted on at time whereof the
memory of man runneth not to the
contrary, and with the hope OF waking
up some officials to the necessity and
justice of diligence in all cases of de
fault where suit can be brought. on tue
bond. FL.